


Life Is Not A Romance Novel (But Sometimes Things Work Out Anyway)

by Pers



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Oblivious Finn (Star Wars), Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21932743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pers/pseuds/Pers
Summary: Reading all those romance novels hadn't prepared Poe for reality. What to do if the other person didn’t love you back.Or: Poe is moping, Finn is oblivious, and Rey just wants her friends to be happy.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 11
Kudos: 133





	Life Is Not A Romance Novel (But Sometimes Things Work Out Anyway)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vix_spes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/gifts), [slightlytookish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlytookish/gifts).

> Well, what can I say? Finn and Poe deserve a happy ending.
> 
> Thanks to slightlytookish and vix_spes for helping me come up with ideas for romance novels Poe might read, and for cheering me on as I wrote this story.

Poe Dameron had grown up on tales of love and romance. His mother had often told him the story of how she and his father had fallen in love, working together for the Rebellion. She’d told him of her friends, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe, and their deep and unwavering love for each other.

“How will I know I’ve found the right person?” young Poe had always asked.

His mother had simply smiled, and replied, “When you find the person you love, you will know.”

Perhaps it had been his mother’s stories that had set Poe on a path of reading every romance novel that he could find. Stories like _A Soldier of Love_, about an imperial soldier who left his unit to be with his one true love, _Code Breakers _about an illicit relationship between two Jedi knights, or _The Prince __and His Pilot__. _

Tales of love between resistance fighters and members of the Empire, smugglers and nobility, and other unlikely couples like that, Poe had devoured them all during his teenage years, when the steamy scenes had set his heart racing and his blood boiling. Or, in one rare case - _The Knight and the Gungan_, his whole body recoiling in horror.

Truth be told, Poe still enjoyed reading romance novels from time to time, to remind himself that there was hope in the galaxy, and love to be found in the most unlikely places. His favourite had always been _Flight and Prejudice_, the story of a pilot falling in love with a nobleman, both having to overcome their prejudices along the way.

Poe could recite the pilot’s declaration of love word for word because he had read it so many times. There was something comforting about reading the same novel, the same scene, over and over again, when you knew that there would be a happy ending.

But tonight, even reading _Flight and Prejudice_ did not help to put Poe’s mind at rest. With a sigh, he turned off his data pad and set it aside. Running both his hands through his hair, he heaved another sigh, wishing that at least BB-8 were here to distract him. Getting up from his bunk, he started pacing up and down his room.

His mother had been right, he had known when he found the person he loved. He’d known almost instantly after he’d spotted Finn on D’Qar, wearing his jacket. The relief he’d felt that Finn was alive, that jolt of happiness when they embraced… it was more than he’d ever felt for any person.

Poe hadn’t done anything about it then. He had wanted to give Finn some time to adjust to life on the resistance base first, and himself some time to come to terms with actually being in love. He’d been content to simply be around Finn, to show him around, and watch him gradually be accepted by the other resistance fighters as part of their own. Every day, he’d fallen in love with Finn a little bit more.

There had never seemed to be the right moment to tell Finn how Poe felt about him. Not that Poe hadn’t thought about it. He had in fact been thinking a lot about the way he would tell Finn, and the exact words he would use. Reading all those romance novels meant Poe had a good idea about what to say when it came to declaring his love. He just needed a chance to do so.

Unfortunately for Poe, he never got that chance. His mother had been right, Poe knew when he had found the person he loved. But her stories, and all those romance novels, had never prepared him for reality. What to do if the other person didn’t love you back.

Poe couldn’t even pinpoint the exact moment he had realized that things between him and Finn weren’t meant to be. Things had gone downhill gradually, and their relationship had become strained especially during the past few weeks.

Finding out that Poe had been a spice runner had definitely caused Poe to sink in Finn’s estimation. And who could blame him? It had been a mistake, Poe had been young and foolish then. Perhaps he was still foolish now, having clung so long to the hope that things could work out between him and Finn.

Truth of the matter was, Finn didn’t need him, not like Poe needed Finn. Being made general and having to fill General Organa’s shoes had proved that to Poe once and for all. He wouldn’t have been able to do it without Finn’s support. But had their roles been reversed, Poe had no doubt that Finn would have been able to lead the Resistance by himself.

Finn had come so far since he first defected from the First Order. He now was a reliable leader, popular and highly esteemed among all of the resistance fighters, and Poe was so damn proud of him.

But whereas Finn had risen and surpassed himself, Poe had made one mistake after another. So who could blame Finn if he preferred Rey’s company over his own? In any case, Finn’s Force sensitivity meant he would be spending a lot more time with Rey, while Poe had nothing to offer to Finn.

In one of his romance novels, it would have been Poe to sweep in and rescue Finn from that star destroyer on Exegol. In reality, it had been Lando Calrissian who had saved Finn and Jannah, and of course Poe would be eternally grateful to Lando for doing so. Yet it cemented the fact that Poe was doomed to remain in the background, and not play an important role in Finn’s life.

They could still be friends though, or at least Poe hoped that they would remain friends. He didn’t know what he would do without Finn in his life. It was difficult though, being around Finn when Poe knew he didn’t stand a chance with him.

Poe needed some time to adjust to his new place on the sidelines, but he was determined to get used to it soon. Already Finn had been giving him strange looks, but at least Poe wasn’t the only one acting out of character at the moment. They had lost so many of their friends on Exegol, they all needed time to grief.

He heaved another sigh and stopped pacing for a moment. Now that he thought about it, Poe hadn’t seen Finn wear his jacket in a long time, and wasn’t that symbolic? Poe gave wry smile and continued pacing up and down the room.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and there stood Rey, her face like thunder. In a few swift strides, she was standing in front of Poe, shoving him back against the wall.

“You!” she hissed, and Poe once again realized what a force of nature she was.

He would have much preferred to remain in her good graces, but apparently that wasn’t meant to be. Just like he and Finn weren’t meant to be. Poe could feel his shoulders slump in defeat.

“What did I do now?” he asked.

Rey let go of him and took a step back, regarding him carefully.

“Finn says you’ve been avoiding him.”

Poe gave a shrug. “So what if I have? We don’t have to live in each other’s pockets, you know.”

“I told you to look after him while I’m gone!” Rey replied. There was an affirmative beep from BB-8, peering out from behind Rey’s legs.

And that was when Poe decided he’d had enough. Even his droid had decided to turn against him! Clenching his fists, he pushed his hurt deep down, and glared back at Rey.

“If you’re so worried about Finn, you should have taken him along with you. Because I obviously cannot be trusted!”

He had almost shouted the last words, and Rey took another step back, giving him an alarmed look.

“Poe, that wasn’t what I meant at all,” she said, holding out her hands to him.

Poe ignored her, sliding down against the wall until he was sitting on the floor. “I think you should leave now.”

“Poe.”

“Go away!”

Rey finally left, and only BB-8 remained. The droid’s head swivelled to and fro between Poe and the doorway, as if he couldn’t decide whether to remain or follow Rey.

“And you can go, too,” Poe told BB-8. The droid gave an inquisitive beep, rolling closer to bump against Poe’s leg.

“I said, go away!” Poe grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a spanner, and threw it at the droid. BB-8 gave a screech and raced out of Poe’s room.

Poe hugged his knees to his chest and rested his head against them. What a mess his life had become. It wasn’t at all like any of the romance novels he’d read. His fingers closed around his mother’s ring that he wore around his neck.

“Oh, Mum,” he whispered. “What am I supposed to do?”

Should he remain, and apologize to Rey and BB-8? He’d be lucky if they still wanted to talk to him. And Finn… Finn might not want to be his friend any more, either. Poe could still work for the Resistance, of course, helping to set up a new government. But a part of him accepted the truth that others were suited so much better for that task.

No, it was much better if Poe left. The others would be fine without him, they still had each other.

Ignoring the way his heart ached, Poe got up from the floor and started packing his bag. He didn’t have many possessions as it turned out, and so it wasn’t long before he was on his way to the airfield.

Poe had just finished stowing his bag away in the cockpit and was ready to set off, when someone called out to him.

“Poe!”

It was Finn, of all people, and Poe had to close his eyes for a moment. Then he turned towards Finn, giving him a large, and what he could only hope was a convincing smile.

“Finn, buddy. What can I do for you?”

“You can start by explaining to me where you’re going.”

Poe waved his hands around nonchalantly. “Oh, you know, exploring the galaxy, finding my fortune, that kind of thing.”

Finn gave a snort. “So you’re deserting us when there’s work to be done.”

“It’s not like you need me,” Poe replied with a shrug. “You’ve proven that you can handle things on your own.”

“Poe, what is going on with you? You haven’t been acting like yourself lately.”

Poe gave another shrug, biting down on his lip to keep it from wobbling. “Maybe it’s because I’ve come to a few realizations about myself lately. You were right about me Finn, I’m not like the general Organa.”

“Poe.”

“And I’m not like you Finn. I’m just… perhaps I’m just a no good spice runner after all.”

“Poe?” Finn asked, his voice full of dismay. “I never thought that of you, please believe me.”

“Perhaps not,” Poe replied, struggling to keep his voice steady, “but there’s nothing I can give you, other than...” He trailed off and gave a helpless shrug. “The only thing I have to offer you is my heart.”

In a romance novel, Finn would have dropped to his knees there and then, he would have taken Poe’s hands and admitted that he, too, was in love with Poe. They would have kissed, and lived happily ever after. But life wasn’t a romance novel, and Finn simply stood there staring at Poe without saying a word.

“Take care, Finn,” Poe said quietly, before climbing into his cockpit. He didn’t look back at Finn as he took off, but he wouldn’t have been able to see him anyway, not with the way the tears were blurring his vision.

* * *

Dazed, Finn walked along the corridors of the resistance base. It wasn’t unlike that time he’d woken up in the med bay, back on D’Qar. But this time, there was no Poe to steady him and to help him make sense of things.

Poe had left, just like that. And what had he meant about only having his heart to offer?

“Finn!” Rey called out, running to catch up with him, and holding him by the shoulders. “Finn! Did you find him?”

BB-8 had followed Rey, adding his own garbled question. Finn didn’t know where to begin.

“Finn? Did you find Poe?” Rey repeated, and Finn finally looked at her.

“He left.”

BB-8 gave a shrill beep, and Rey grabbed Finn’s arm. “Oh, Finn.”

Finn rubbed a hand over his face. It was Poe’s choice of course, he had every right to do what he thought right, but to Finn, this didn’t feel right. At all.

Poe had been acting strange all week, avoiding Finn whenever they weren’t in a meeting together. And even then he’d not been his normal self. Finn had gotten used to Poe standing close to him, or draping an arm around Finn’s shoulder, or grabbing Finn’s hand when he’d had an idea. But lately, Poe had stopped doing any of those things, and Finn couldn’t figure out why.

He’d begun to wonder if he had offended Poe in some way, but whenever he tried to bring up the subject, Poe had waved his concerns aside, insisting that everything was fine. And he’d smiled and laughed, but Finn could tell that his heart wasn’t in it.

Finn felt helpless, and out of sorts himself, because clearly something wasn’t right, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Perhaps he had simply made things worse by trying to interfere?

Tonight, when Rey had returned from Tatooine, eyes bright and brimming with excitement, he had been too distracted to listen to her, and when Rey had pressed him what was the matter, he’d simply replied, “Poe has been avoiding me.”

And Rey had rushed off before Finn could elaborate on that, only to return a few minutes later with a worried expression on her face. She’d told him that he needed to talk to Poe at once, and so Finn had set out to find him.

He certainly hadn’t expected to find Poe just as he was leaving, and for things to spiral out of control like that. Why would Poe think they didn’t need him? Poe was the heart and soul of the resistance movement, and Finn couldn’t imagine life without him. But his friend was gone, leaving a Poe-shaped hole in Finn’s life.

“Finn?” Rey asked, concern lacing her voice, and Finn realized he was sitting on his bunk. How had they got here?

“Finn?” Rey asked again, squeezing his hand. “What exactly happened?”

So Finn told her what had happened out in the airfield.

“… and then he said something like the only thing he could offer me was his heart, but what does that even mean?”

Rey clapped a hand over her mouth, making a sound Finn couldn’t quite interpret.

“Rey? What did he mean by that?”

Rey gave him a look. “Honestly, Finn?”

“Will you please just tell me?”

“It means he’s in love with you,” Rey said, carefully enunciating every word.

“What?!” How could Poe be in love with Finn without Finn noticing it?

Rey rolled her eyes. “Really, Finn? He’s probably been in love with you since the very beginning. I certainly noticed it when I first met him, and Leia knew as well. I think everyone figured it out by now, actually. Are you honestly telling me you had no idea?”

Finn just stared at her, flabbergasted. Poe was in love with him? And everyone knew? But how was that possible? How could he not have noticed something like that?

It was true, of course, Poe had always been happy to spend time with Finn, but wasn’t that what friends did? And the way Poe’s face lit up whenever he spotted Finn? The way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled at Finn, that soft gaze directed at Finn like he was the only person who mattered… all those things that had been missing lately without Finn being able to pinpoint exactly what it was that was missing.

Oh. _Oh._

A strangled sound escaped Finn’s mouth, and if he hadn’t already been sitting down, he would have sunk to the ground. Because there was no doubt in his mind. He also loved Poe Dameron, with every fibre of his being. How had he not realized this sooner?

Rey patted his knee. “I’m sorry, Finn. I thought you knew.”

Finn opened his mouth to reply, but it took a few attempts until he actually managed to make the words come out. “I can’t believe… I can’t believe I let him go, Rey. I have to find him!”

“Finn!” Rey gasped, squeezing his hand, and BB-8 beeped excitedly.

“What…?”

He didn’t finish the question because he saw what had caught their attention. Standing in the doorway was Poe, looking forlorn, his eyes puffy and red as if he’d been crying.

“Poe! You came back!”

Poe gave a shrug and quietly replied, “I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Finn was up in a second, throwing his arms around Poe and pulling him into a hug. “Then stay. Please stay. I’m not letting you go again.”

Slowly, Poe’s arms came around Finn to return the hug, and Finn held him even tighter. He was vaguely aware of Rey tiptoeing past them, followed by BB-8, and then he and Poe were alone.

“I guess I owe you an apology,” Poe said after a moment, pulling away. Finn loosened his grip, but kept his hands on Poe’s arms, not ready to let go of him completely.

“You don’t owe me anything. If anyone should apologize, that person is me.”

“Finn...”

“No, you listen to me, Poe. Apparently, I’m the most oblivious person on this base, but I’ve come to a realization tonight. And that realization is that I love you, Poe Dameron. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to keep saying that.”

“I will keep saying it, until you believe me! Because it’s true. I love you, and I can’t imagine my life without you. You’re brave, and caring, and if it hadn’t been for you, I would never have been accepted as part of the Resistance.

"I love the way you smile at me, and the way your eyes light up, and I want to continue to be the one who makes you smile. You said you can only offer me your heart, but that is all I need. Well, that and the rest of you. And I offer you my heart in return, and the rest of me. If you’ll still have me.”

Poe stared at Finn, his eyes brimming with tears. But apparently they were happy tears, because slowly, a smile spread across Poe’s face, and he reached up to touch a hand to Finn’s face.

“That was the loveliest thing anyone has ever said to me,” Poe said softly. “And of course I’ll still have you. I love you, Finn. Always have, always will.”

And then he kissed Finn, and it made Finn’s heart soar. Up until then, something had been missing from his life without Finn realizing it. But now, everything felt just… _right_.

They held each other close, resting their foreheads against each other, and Finn briefly wished he had figured things out much sooner than he did. But what did it matter? What mattered was that here and now, Finn and Poe were on the same page. And now that the fight against the First Order was over, they had all the time they needed to figure out their future together.

Together. Finn liked the sound of that.

Poe pulled back slightly, smiling at Finn. “You’re wearing my jacket,” he said, as if only noticing that now.

“Yes?”

“I’m glad you kept it,” Poe replied. “It looks good on you.” He bit his lip and looked at Finn, mischief dancing in his eyes. “But do you know what would look even better?”

“What?”

Poe leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “You and me, naked.”

* * *

Poe looked over at Finn, who was still fast asleep. His arm was resting on Poe’s midriff, securely holding Poe in place. But Poe didn’t want to move even if he could have. For the first time in months, perhaps even years, he was feeling truly happy. He was simply bursting with happiness, and if Finn hadn’t weighed him down, he might very well have floated away.

Poe smiled and wrapped his own arm around Finn, closing his eyes again with a contented sigh. It was true, life wasn’t a romance novel. But all things considered, Poe was very happy with the way things had turned out anyway.


End file.
